Teoria do Amor (2019)

Honestly, this by far is one of my favourite series! I enjoyed every moment, and I am so glad I stumbled upon this drama. The story was beautifully written, and the actors and actresses all portrayed their characters with so much depth and emotion; I felt hurt sometimes when one of them got upset. The story was slow paced, however, I think that slow pace really built up the emotions and attachment that viewers got (like myself) to the characters. The soundtrack is one of my favourite aspects too; subtle, clam, motivational, inspiring, and eye opening. The cast was also nicely chosen, and all of them became my favourites after this show. I will definitely watch this again. For those who are is search for a BL drama, I highly recommend this one! One of my top favourites definitely :)

Leia Mais

Flipped perspective

I'll be honest, I really expected to hate this show. Or at least to find it mediocre enough to forget about. I watched it shortly after finishing Not Me and watched the first few episodes with someone who hated the show and told me to watch it after mentioning he didn't like it.

Theory of Love has a quite classic, basic story befitting its tone, cinematography, and overall themes. Third, a film major who does movie reviews, is in love with his best friend Khai, a player who changes girlfriends at the blink of an eye. It's about a seemingly hopeless unrequited love and the angst that comes with pining over someone who is never looking at you.

I was *not* enjoying it at first. I found Third crying in the shower bearable (despite my slightly amused, mostly cringing reaction to it at first) but I couldn't quite vibe with his point-of-view as a main character. Things just weren't clicking for me.

And every single episode, I grew more and more annoyed. Khai as a character seemed more and more awful as a friend, especially as we saw Third take the fall for his actions and cry every single episode, while still holding onto his feelings, which felt unfounded. To quote myself, I said multiple times during the first half of the series: "I *hate* Khai."

When he was acting nice, I didn't trust him. I was suspicious and wary, just like Third! And I completely understood his feelings, as someone who would probably act the same but absolutely hated seeing it. And when Khai continued to stoop lower and lower, I completely was in Third's shoes. Frustrated, betrayed, annoyed, and done with Khai, despite the small charms that did get through to me.

The thing was, I was being perfectly manipulated by the show. I hated Khai, I told myself. I would continue to hate Khai, I thought.

Here are some things I said as the POV switched:
"flipped" do i need to deal w khai pov from now on ?? why NONOOOOO
khai would have to go through hell for me to feel bad for him after that show of things
i enjoy khai suffering. like fr deserve
"im gonna chase after third" STOP LIKE JUST STOP
i have no idea what khai could do to make me go Yes i am happy they ended up together. like idk fucking make a new personality altogether ? cuz its like theres no REASON LIKE THERES ABSOLUTELY NO REASON FOR KHAI TO BE LIKE THIS. hes acting like such a fucking loser rn why do you even like third suddenly. it feels like he saw the video and was just like omggg

But I was completely wrong, and actually went for as much of a change in perspective as the characters do! Because actually, despite everything up above. Khai is now my favorite character in Theory of Love, and I adore him dearly. I quite literally have spent the last month thinking about him every single day.

I *love* Khai.

His change was wonderfully written. He lost the person he didn't know he was in love with, reflected, and realized that he fucked up. He sort of speedrun the complicated feelings Third had to deal with (seeing his best friend with another person) and realized that he hurt his best friend and love of his life deeply and he had to change. So he did!

He really did change as a person and the KhaiThird dynamic did a drastic turn from what it once was, as Khai realized he had to treat Third the way he deserved, and Third realized he couldn't let himself keep getting treated the way he was and put his foot down. And honestly, while I found the jealousy plot incredibly cliche and not very well executed (we *know* UnTwo is real at this point anyway) I loved watching Khai and Third fall in love properly.

Khai is an incredibly flawed character. He's stupid, self-absorbed, and he hurts people. But he grows! And the moment he finally realized how stupid he was, you realize his charms. He's like an overeager puppy following Third around, a genuinely *cute* guy who we realize has deep abandonment issues and a lacked the ability to really be self-aware.

I'm allowed to play into stereotypes because I am also bisexual but I will say - Khai not realizing he's bisexual while dressing like *that* and acting like *that* and being a film major was so hilarious to me it still makes me giggle when I think about it. Oh to be so unaware you don't realize you've been in love with your best friend for years (you especially come to find the hilarity of this during the ebook) only to realize it after you've hurt him to try and *get him to fall out of love with you.*

I love the structure of Theory of Love! The two leads get their own halves of the show to explain their perspectives, and the flip of their feelings was incredibly satisfying, as well as the one movie per episode format. I haven't watched any of the movies referenced, but just with a glance at Flipped I can tell the story worked in really nice references. Theory of Love is a romance about romances about characters who watch romances, and that worked for me very well.

The acting was wonderful. I love Off, I love Gun, and I love OffGun!

Third's crying scenes and Khai at the train station stand out to me as gems, and the supporting cast is also wonderful. Everyone fit their roles well.

One point I will make is that I didn't quite enjoy the other characters quite as much as I came to love Khai and Third. I didn't hate anyone's storyline, but I feel like none of them quite hit the same amount of charm I grew to enjoy from KhaiThird by the end of the show. But I can't say that's quite a bit issue when they aren't the main leads and have no reason to be. I like what Two and Bone bring to the show, and they're a very funny quartet.

Anyway, Theory of Love really took me on a wild ride. From hate to love and disconnection to really, really connected with the show. I'd recommend anyone to watch this show as long as they take it on its own terms and really let themselves get swept away with the show. I'm currently rewatching it after having read the entire ebook, and I appreciate it even more. It's a well-crafted show and I'm impressed by the skill of its ability to make me equal parts despise and adore Khai, who I feel is really the best part of the show once you really start to see into his own head.

Your honor, Khai isn't really a bad guy. He's just stupid. And I love him for that. So does Third!

Leia Mais

A serious and mature take on relationships with introspection and character development

NO-SPOILER REVIEW

Be prepared for a lot of film references and allusions as this series is full of them. The mood of this series is overall serious and somber, touching on some deeper emotions. If you're looking for a break from some of the sweet and happy dramas out there, this might be the series for you. If you're looking for something more lighthearted then this may feel a bit too slow or sad for you. The characters here deal with difficult situations, come to terms with real issues about themselves, and go through a lot of character development. The pacing can be a bit slow at some parts, but it matches the overall feeling for this series.

Pros
- The characters experience significant development throughout the series, something not always found in most dramas.
- This series does a good job of handling emotional and relationship issues in a relatively realistic and mature way.
- Plenty of moving scenes where you feel deeply for the characters.

Cons
- It can feel a bit too heavy and slow-paced at times.
- The emotional toll can be high on the viewer.

Overall
- If you're a fan of stories with more somber moods and more realistic takes on relationships, you'll definitely enjoy this.

Leia Mais

I loved this show. I find the storyline not to be the most realistic but I didn't really care. I thought it was good. It was a very emotional show for sure. Khai was so stupid like he could tell in the one scene that the love poster was for him and not his girlfriend. The part that was unrealistic was the whole finding a video on his friend's third computer and seeing that he liked him. Then after finding out he starts to fall in love with him. But when he does start to find for third he does try his best and be a good man and stuff so I liked that. The second romantic relationship was fine. Nothing to write home about there but it was bad. It is surprising that after all khai has done to third that he would even give him a chance at the end. But love makes people do things like that. I hated having to see a third go home and cry in the shower that broke my heart when that happened in the story. Even know khai did a lot of bad stuff to third I want Khai to get help when his bike crushed on the road. Khai and third had great chemistry together for sure. So whoever made this story did a great job on it and you can tell his or she was passion about the project. I loved that the story cover film majors because that major is not as commonly done in bl stories as of yet at least from what I have watched personally. The only thing I didn’t like was how many kisses khai tried to do on third after khai fell in love with him and third didn’t want the kiss. But overall I love the show. I recommend it to all.

Leia Mais

I don't understand how people rate this highly

Borderline offensive in how terrible of a BL this is, incredibly toxic relationship with bad acting, no chemistry between leads, constant regurgitation of the same plot point of oblivious toxic lead ignoring the sensitive introvert who would otherwise keep love a secret forever. Incredibly exhausting show. Even the subplots of the far more interesting characters literally go nowhere and are rushed at the last second to have a yes/no answer as to whether they happen or not, most frustratingly seen in the HETERO romance subplot between Bone and his teacher in the GAY BL. There are so many better shows with actual chemistry that are rated lower than this. I'm struggling to see how this was made only in 2019, it's so archaic and toxic, and I don't even mind good, passionate toxicity if its written well and has context, as I greatly enjoyed Tharntype. Genuinely a very stale and infuriating show and I strongly urge anyone to not watch it because you could literally spend the time watching anything else.

Leia Mais

I begin this knowing that TharnType and Dark Blue Kiss are ongoing and Until We Meet Again will soon coming out.

I write that headline too after watching a lot of BL dramas in the last 3 months, and even i've rewatched this series again before writing this review. But don't 100% objetive review because i can't. This series made me feel so many emotions that i don't believe i can be very objetive in terms of storyline at least but I'll give it try,

I recommend this series a lot, but have in mind that his series doesn't have a lot of happy moments, it has a lot of sad and frustrating moments, if you tend to cry then prepare some tissues.

Story: 9/10
- The Story is around a group of 4 friend... and one of them (Third) is secretly in love with another (Kai). The story centers around them, but there some side stories for the other two friends (Two & Bone).
Storywise it's simple, but a love how they approached it. The characters aren't perfect at all, they have a lot of flaws that makes them do a lot of mistakes, but those are flaws that exist in real life, i've seen people in those situations, and i've suffered a little of them too. Of course, this is a drama so they are a little bit exaggerated to make the drama flow, but it was well executed, well produced and edited.
It has some beautiful details, and uses its theme perfectly for the audience to understand (Comm arts Student & films), dnd last but not least, & the something that i really appreciate is that i didn't encounter an scene that was totally pointless or extremely long.
The only downside for some (but not me at least), is the frustration that the protagonist, specially Third, can produce to some people.

Acting/Cast 10/10
I can't say anything bad about the acting and cast.

Gun as Third - I can only praise his acting in this series. I could feel every emotion that Third felt. and was superb. I like his acting more than in Puppy Honey and there it was already good.

Off as Kai - His improvement was incredible. Sometimes he takes a goofy and funny character, and here Kai has something of that too, but it was more than that... he can make you hate Kai and his easygoing and selfish personality, and then you could understand him. I love his acting here a lot more.

White as Two - A good friend, but not a perfect one, and that was well portrayed, loved how his relationship evolved and the chemistry it forge. I can't go into more details without spoiling his story.

Mike as Bone - A lot of people didn't like his storyline and felt it pointless, but id didn't feel it that way... because thanks to it, it made you know how beautiful is Bone inside, and Mike portrayed that almost perfectly.

Earth as Aun - For some reason In a lot of his dramas i can't buy his character 100%, but here he convinced me a lot more. I won't go into details, because of spoilers.

Neen as Lyn, and Sara as Paan - they played their part very well both have roles in the side storylines, but they did a very good part. and liked especially Neen, she was very sweet.

Music 10/10
The OST is used perfectly... the opening and main theme are used a lot, but it didn't felt repetitive thanks to the variations of the songs. I love the OST of this series, and it portrays a lot of emotions in the scenes that are used. On Point.

Rewatch Value 10/10
i've always say that this has 50% objetive and 50% subjective part.
Objectively, thanks to its simply plot and that the series doesn't revolve in a mystery it facilitates the rewatch value. so 10. As for the subjective part.. it very rare that a series makes me wanna see it again ,an i want to see it a third time now. I even enjoyed more the second time than the first.

Leia Mais

My favorite BL!

This BL is currently my favorite! It's actually funny asf. Gun (Third) is such a great actor and so is everyone else! The story line is actually pretty good. (: I love how Third reacts to the issues he faces. Currently waiting for their (Gun & Off) next series together to come out and can't wait! But this BL in my opinion is a 1000000/10! But I will say, I did not like Khai’s character at first, it was really irritating. But later I felt like Khai had redeemed himself which made me happy. Also I will say that two is my favorite character from this series with Third. Someone find me friend like Two! haha

Leia Mais

One of the best

I don't typically do reviews, but I felt like I had to on this one. I was putting off watching it for some reason it didn't sound like something I would really like from the description. Let me tell you, I am so glad that I watched it anyway. I'll be honest, it started out a bit shaky for me. I was having a hard time getting in to at first because I thought Khai was a terrible person, but I'm glad I pushed through. I would have to say, it is one of the best dramas I have seen in a while. I laughed a lot, I cried a lot, I was frustrated a lot. It had me feeling all of the emotions. I really loved the character development of all the characters, especially Khai and Third. They both really grew as individuals and as friends. I really loved this one and would highly recommend it.

Leia Mais

Khai and Third's story is very relatable; especially on Third's side --- the things we do for love, the sacrifices we made, the tears we wipe off our face, the many times our emotions clouded our judgment.

I really love how Gun (Third) was able to pull off every heartbreaking and devastating scenes in the series. Off (Khai) was as much awesome in breaking our hearts by his very selfish ways.

I would like to point out that I feel like the series must have another episode or two to really conclude the story. The ending seems to be hastily wrapped up. Or a Part 2, or a Special Episode maybe like what they did in Our Skyy? But nevertheless, this series is really awesome especially if you're into depressing heartaches of lead characters.

Kudos!

Leia Mais

I honestly loved this series.

Khai may have been a jerk in the beginning, but I think they did an amazing job developing his character. I loved him at the end. I truly felt like he loved Third. I’m glad Third made it difficult for Khai to be in a relationship with him. Khai was so used to getting his way that I think it was amazing seeing Third challenging Khai to really show him he cares for Third. At the end I felt like the characters both deserved the ending they got. It’s got some classic tropes, miscommunication, some dragging. But not anything boring, I was always entertained, I don’t feel like it takes away from the series.

I’ve seen people mention Khai’s sexuality and how it seemed weird that he would all the sudden like a guy, so here’s my opinion on it. Example: you can like girls 99% of the time, but if that other 1% is also guys, than that still makes you bisexual. I think it is possible for Khai to have just not found a guy he was interested in until Third. Him finding out Third likes him is kind of an awakening. Like “wow I’ve never really considered I might get some crushes on guys because I’ve been so engrossed in my player behavior towards women.” But here he is, and he has one on his best friend, who he also has strong feelings for that he’s never felt before when he’s dated women. I might be wrong, but that’s my take on it as a bisexual myself.

The acting was spot on. Off and Gun have such good chemistry together. It was great.

I thought the side characters and their relationships were done well. I was genuinely interested in them, which normally doesn’t happen in most dramas for me. Two was one of my favorite characters, he was such a supportive friend. I really appreciated Two and Bone because I feel like in a lot of dramas the friends just give horrible advice! But not in this one, thank god.

The music was so so good. It went very well with the whole vibe of the series. I’d probably listen to it on my own when I wanna remember this drama. Opening seemed high quality too.

If you like slow burn, not a lot of fluff but when it happens it makes your heart flutter, and complicated characters who grow and learn to truly love each other, then I highly recommend this series.

Leia Mais

Theory of Love (ToL) is a perfect ballad for people undergoing hardships with unrequited/impossible love ideations. It perfectly encapsulates the intricacies of pining for someone in a tight-knit friend group/social circle, while being able to show how people change and adapt when situations arise like this. I was also impressed with how the actors fulfilled their roles with so much comfort. ToL is smartly written, with very minute gaps in storytelling; overall, it is still able to make an impactful narrative about how people come and go into our lives, and how we change and grow as people.

Rewatch value is high, since there are so many details that I'm sure will change meaning depending on where you are in your life right now.

STORY
ToL's plot started kind of cliche. An unrequited love for three years. For me, this premise necessitated a narrative within the series' time frame that a turning point will happen. I was asking myself, "after three years, why is NOW, the series setting, the important moment?" And the show adequately addressed this by building up Third's frustration to the point of making rash decisions. Third's actions were understandable, and people with similar experiences will relate with him; even the shower scenes seemed rational for those who are scorned. Khai started out as the ignorant playboy who severely lacks self-awareness. Him being a playboy amplified Third's decisions. Khai's character development, however, was very real and organic. People are imperfect, and we all make negotiations with ourselves and with our loved ones as to how we should be. Their story did not focus on romanticism, but on highlighting the hurt and the pain that a lot of people undergo when they're in love. Sure, it was poetic justice for Khai, but in the end, people in love will become miserable; this is not a rarity when dealing with a person's emotions. I think the writing captured how love is not an endgoal, but an active process to improve oneself.

Another thing I loved about ToL's story was how the side characters were not forgotten (unlike this other BL series which completely abandoned their own plot devices lmao). All of them in their gangster group were able to learn valuable things because of the people they encounter, and they were able to make active decisions. Two, for example, was able to decide as to what he should really do: at first I'd thought that he'd choose Lynn, but it also made sense how moving on is portrayed through his actions. Sometimes meeting someone can really change a person. Bone's storyline was also very heartwarming. I don't believe that the teacher-student trope was haphazardly inserted. In the first place, Paan was this mysterious woman who allured Bone. It just so happened that she was the substitute in the uni. Bone was even devastated when he found out about this, and acted accordingly. What he did by the end was brave, and again, reiterates that love isn't about the "kilig", or the happy moments, or the romance, but it's about how we deal with the reality of things.

The portrayal of changing friend dynamics within a friend group was also magnificent. It's one of the challenges among close friends to remain the same when a conflict happens. I think the show successfully dealt with this. Again, with the imperfect framing. Sides will be chosen. However, in the end, these are people who care for each other and who'd want to hold each other accountable. The support and constant reassurance from all four of them really reminded me of my own friends.

I'd realized that in Episode 1, they were introduced with their gangster personalities, which eventually turned out to be how they developed character-wise. Bone was able to use his barista charm to flirt with women (the charm of being an accommodating person due to the nature of his job). By the end of the series, he demonstrated the grandest form of accommodation there is. Two was introduced as using his photography to get laid. In the end, it was already evident that his photography is also a reflection of how he loves. Khai was shown at the start to do everything half-heartedly for the women he seduces, while Third was portrayed as being blunt and cold. In the end, Khai was able to commit and settle wholeheartedly (maintaining that sweet aura), and Third maintained his expressiveness. I think the series took care of the characters they'd introduced, and showed their development impeccably.

PRODUCTION
I can say that the stylistic choices done by the creators in this show were smart, and elevated the storytelling here. For one, the framing, color-grading, and blocking of the actors were all made to symbolize where they were in each other's lives. The first half of the series (around until eps 5-6), Third was placed almost always beside Khai. Afterwards, however, he started positioning himself farther and farther away from Khai. This choice on proximity was subtle, but it emphasized the characters' feelings for each other quite well.

The usage of romcom movies all around the series was also very interesting. Naming each episode with a romcom title admittedly set some expectations as to what the plot of each episode will be, but it also left me guessing who's the "real" protagonist of the episode. In the episode named "The Proposal", for example, it wasn't very clear who was making a proposal; was it P'Shane to Khai? Was it Khai to himself? These questions, for me, made the plot much more immersive, as I was really hooked as to what will happen. But there were also episodes where the plot was evidently tied into the movie namesake for the ep. Flipped, for instance (ep 7), shocked me to the core. The usage of POV in this series was exemplified in this episode, and made each narration within the characters' head much more emotional. That sneaky stylistic choice really solidified the idea that this series was well thought of. Outside of being titles, romance movies were also used as plot devices. Un Homme Et Une Femme, for instance, was used as a metaphor for Paan; Love Actually for Khai and Third, and Perks for Un. But these films may represent very different things for people watching the show, that's why I think that the series' meaning will constantly change every time you re-watch it (according to what you're feeling at the moment).

Oh, and don't get me started on the soundtrack. The usage of creepy tones during emotional scenes was kind of strange for me at first, but as the series progressed, I think it really catches the urgency of the moment, and the thoughts racing through our minds as we're about to make decisions. This is also the first series in which I never skipped the opening music. So, there's that.

CRITIQUES
I only have two main concerns (which didn't really change my perception of how the plot progressed). First, I think it was kind of a Deus Ex Machina for P'Ton to suddenly appear like that. For one, I think this could've been the opportunity for Khai to really figure things out on his own; instead, P'Ton probes him to not miss an opportunity, which of course, is how Khai decides to pursue Third. No real issue here, but I think a concrete "soul-searching" narrative would've been more organic? I also think they could've at least introduced P'Ton and his significance in Khai's life early on.

My second concern is in terms of how Lynn people was caught in the crossfire of Two's dilemmas. Building up Lynn's hesitation towards romance because of P'Phon, and at the same time breaking up with Two after that theater scene, really made me sympathize with her, because I think she'd gone through a lot. But hey, I still think they were better as friends in the end.

OVERALL
If you are wondering if you should pursue someone close to you (a friend, perhaps), or not, you should definitely watch this series. I don't think it will tell you to always take the risk, but I think it will show what will happen when things like that do occur. This show was written smartly and executed well. If you want an unproblematic BL series, which doesn't really focus too much on the gender aspect of the series' discourse, I think you'll love Theory of Love.

Leia Mais